So this was initially dropped in the comments of the Bulls/Heat recap, and while we usually don't run with silly Derrick Rose rumors, we're going to post this for the hell of it (and for the hits!!!) From Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News:

People who have seen Derrick Rose work out insist he's almost ready to start playing. The Bulls still aren't saying when the 2011 MVP will be activated for game duty. And like everything else out in Chicago, the front office and coaching staff can't agree on when he'll take the court.

I honestly have no idea who these "people" are who are insisting these things to some New York journalist, but I guess it's still somewhat interesting nonetheless. We know Rose's rehab has been going pretty well, that he's doing more and more in practice and that he's now traveling with the team.

However, Tom Thibodeau and all the Chicago beat guys insist that Rose won't be back on the court until February or early March. That to me seems like the reasonable time frame, because there's simply no reason to rush him back any sooner.